Award Winning Ribs

[lcruzen]

This is not my attempt to criticize a food establishment as I know they serve up some great food at reasonable prices. It's called Mountain Town Station & Brewery in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. On they way back from up north Sunday we took my mom there for Mothers Day dinner and she enjoyed a nice cut of prime rib and the wife loved her morel pork loin. They also boast "Award Winning Ribs" on the menu and even though I didn't smell smoke on the way in I gave it a shot. These were the typical "so tender they fall off the bone" ribs without much flavor except the sauce.

I guess I just wanted to point out that when you've experienced real Q you just wonder how something like that wins an award. Probably some local contest.

Anyway, brought 1/2 the slab home and plan to try to do something with them over lump to help out.

If ever in Mt. Pleasant it's not a bad place to eat just don't do the ribs.

Oh, the beer was quite good also!

 

[fatback joe]

Quite often the ribs that won the award are pretty different from what you will get at a resturant. The basic rub and sauce may be the same, but that is going to be about it at most places. The quality of the meat, time and effort involved, etc......that is needed for "award winning" is usually cost prohibitive in a resturant setting. Not to mention that the ribs you got in the resuturant were probably done for a while and being held which doesn't usually work out in favor of the rib.

Of course, there are some execptions, but they are few and far between.

I agree, once you had the good stuff made at home or where ever, it is tough to find much good in a resturant.

 

[chargrilled]

YUMMMMM YUMMMMMMMMMM! That sounds good, how was it?

At this point I refuse to order BBQ without the smell of smoke, blue smoke that is!
Can you say Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous Ribs???

 

[lcruzen]

YUMMMMM YUMMMMMMMMMM! That sounds good, how was it?

I got a taste of it and it was very good. Roasted pork loin with a very rich morel mushroom sauce.

 

[keith54]

Icuzen, I've been to the place you've mentioned. Its been awhile and I didn't try the ribs. When I'm in your neck of the woods and want q I'll go to one of Randy's roadside joints in the Irish Hills area. Not bad at all.

And like many others,once you have had the good stuff,nothing else will do!

keith

 

[crewcab4x4]

I heard that. I went to a place called conways bbq in marion oh, you could see a smoke ring but no flavor whatsoever except the sauce. I've had them also with no smoke and decent flavor. The best restaraunt ribs I've had is from smokey bones. At least you can taste the smoke and spices. It is true once you have good q yours or someone elses. NOTHING else will do.

Jason

 

[bwsmith_2000]

I'm of the opinion that a lot of the Q places (especially the chain stores) do the old par boil trick and use a lot of liquid smoke. Like a lot of you said, without the sauce, there's little taste.

 

[richtee]

Well, there WAS taste... they just tossed the rib soup out! LOL

 

[justsmoke2]

Cruise east on highway 10 back to Midland. go to Bone Daddy's for good BBQ. They have a sample platter for like $13 thats well worth the money. Outback you will see there smoker operateing. I stop there when I come home from the casino. If I am going to lick my wounds I might as well have some good BBQ on my fingers to go with my donations to the casino. Bone Daddys owner is the son of Billy Bones. GLBBQA did a catering class there with Billy Bones as the speaker.

 

[lcruzen]

Thanx, I'll keep that one in mind.